Feed-table for rolling-mills



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. A. POTTER. FEED TABLE FOR ROLLING MILLS.

No. 586,866. Patented July 20, 1897.

2 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. A. POTTER. FEED TABLE FOR ROLLING MILLS.

Patented July 20, 1897.

INVIN'IOR WITNESSES Uwirh STATES PATENT FFIC JOHN A. POTTER, OE CLEVELAND, OIIIO.

FEED-TABLE FOR ROLLING-MILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,866, dated July 20, 1897.

Application filed February 1, 1897. Serial No. 621,463. (No model.)

To (all whom, may (,O/MJBT/L:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. POTTER, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feed Tables for Rolling- Mills, of which the following; is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 shows in plan View a rolling-mill feed-table constructed in accordance with my invention. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line II II of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section 011 the line III III of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to rolling-mill feedtablcs, such as those in which the metal is carried upon endless chains. Such feed-tables are illustrated in a prior patent, No. 546,623, granted to me on September 17, 1895.

Heretofore the chains of such tables have been driven by applying the power to sprocket-wheels at the outer end of the table, but I have found that in so driving the same, where the metal is being carried toward the rolls and where the weight is therefore ahead of the propelling device, the pushing motion thus applied to the upper branch of the chain will cause the slack to gather up at the forward end. This has proved objectionable in practice, but I have discovered that the difficulties above named can be avoided by locating the driven sprocket-wheels at the lower runs or branches of the chains. The consequence of so constructing the apparatus is that when the metal piece or slab is being delivered to the rolls the lower run of each chain at the forward part of the table is tightened and the upper run of the chain is pulled toward the rolls, thus carrying the metal forward and throwing the loose part or slack of the chain to the rear portion of the lower run. In like manner, in carrying the metal from the rolls, the driving-sprockets are reversed and the upper run of the chain is pulled toward the rear end of the table. In neither case is the chain pushed toward the metal piece by the driving mechanism, and I am therefore enabled to prevent the evils arising from slackening of the upper runs of the chains and secure a regular action of the table.

My invention consists in the construction above noted and also in mechanism for turning the metal piece on the table, consisting in chains or conveyers arranged so that those at one side of the table may be driven in an opposite direction or may be driven while the others remain stationary. I thus accomplish by a simple arrangement of the table itself the labor which has heretofore been effected by workmen using hooks.

Referring now to the drawings, 2 2 are the rolls of a rolling-mill. 3 is the frame of the feed-table, having at the end series of sprocket-wheels a 5, around which endless chains are passed. I show in the drawings eight of these chains and eight sprocket-wheels at each end of the table, the chains being, for the purpose hereinafter stated, in two groups 0 0 of four each.

It will be understood that any suitable number of chains may be employed, according to the width of the table and the character of the metal pieces to be handled.

The driving mechanism of the chains con sists of a series of sprocket-wheels 7 8, arranged below the table on a common shaft or axis 9, which, where the table is a tilting table, constitutes the axis of the trunnions on which the table is oscillated. The chains pass around these sprockets 7 8 and in contaetwith guide-sprockets 10, and by rotation of the sprockets '7 8 the chains will be driven and, being actuated at their lower runs or branches, 8 5 the advantages which I have noted above will result.

For the purpose of enabling the metal piece 13 to be turned 011 the table as desired for the purpose of enabling it to be spread or elon- 9o gated or for the purpose of properly directing it to the rolls I construct the apparatus so that the two groups of chains 6 6 may be independently actuated, and this I prefer to do by making the groups of sprockets 7 and 8 capable of independent action. For this purpose I key or fix the sprocket-wheels 7 directly on the shaft 9 and key the sprocket-wheels 8 to a sleeve 11, which is loosely mounted on said shaft, but is keyed to a beveled gear-wheel12. I00

13 is a beveled gear-wheel which is loosely mounted on the shaft 9, and both these gearwheels 12 and 13 are driven simultaneously, but in opposite directions, by a pinion 14, connected with a reversing-motor 15.

Between the gear-wheels 12 and 13 is a frietion-cone 16, movable on a feather-andspline connection on said shaft by a rod 17 and lever 18 or other suitable connection into any one of the following three positions: first, contact with the gear-wheel 12 3 second, contact with the gear-wheel13, and, third, an intermediate position in contact with neither of these gearwheels. WVhen in the first positionin contact with the gear-wheel 12the rotation of the latter will drive the sleeve 11 and by driving the cone 16 will also drive the shaft 9 in the same direction as the sleeve 11, so as to drive both sets of sprocket-wheels 7 and 8 in the same direction, either forwardly or backwardly, accordingly as the motor 15 is driven. When the friction-cone 16 is in the second positionin contact with the g'ear-wheel13the rotation of the gear-wheel 12-will drive the sleeve 11 and sprockets 8 and the chains con neeted therewith in one direction, while the gear-wheel 13, acting through the frictioncone 16, will transmit to the shaft 9, the sprockets 7, and the sprocket-chains in connection therewith an equal motion in the opposite direction. If the friction-cone be put in the third position-out of contact with both the gear-wheels 12 and 13the shaft 9 and its sprockets 7 and their sprocket-chains will be stationary, while the sleeve 11, the sprockets 8, and their chains will be moved.

By setting the parts in the. first position above stated all the chains of the table will be driven uniformly and the metal piece can be carried thereby toward or from the rollers in the usual way. By setting the parts in the second position the chains 6 and (3 will be driven in opposite directions and the metal piece thereon will be turned very rapidly, and by putting it in the third position, where one set of chains is stationary and the other is moved, the metal piece can be shifted correspondingly. In this way the mechanism of the table itself affords perfect command of the position of the piece upon the table.

l/Vithin the scope of the invention as defined in the broad claims of this specification the shifting of the piece may be obtained in an analogous manner by mechanism of various sorts. For example, I may use two reversing engines or motors in place of the frietion-elutch, although this would not be so desirable.

I claim- 1. A feed-table having a plurality of parallel endless chains, and driving mechanism therefor constructed and arranged to operate them all in the same direction or a portion of them in a different direction from the remainder as desired.

2. A feed-table having a plurality of par allel endless chains with rollers j ournaled thereon,and driving mechanism therefor constructed and arranged to operate them all in the same direction or a portion of them in a different direction from the remainder as de sired.

3. A feed-table comprising a plurality of endless chains adapted to carry a burden which rests on and is supported thereby, idlewheels over which the chains pass, and rotary driving mechanism operating on the lower branches or runs of the chains, whereby the upper branches of the chains in front of the burden thereon are maintained in tension during motion of the driving mechanism in either direction.

4. A feed-table, having a series of drivingwheels, part of the same connected with a shaft, and part with a sleeve on the shaft, driving-gearing, and a clutch adapted to connect the sleeve and shaft with the gearing to rotate the same simultaneously in the same or opposite directions, or to rotate one alone.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN A. POT ER.

Vitnesses:

JOHN H. Nnwnv, F. H. HART. 

